Heretofore, numerous shingle guide or alignment devices have been utilized in the accurate laying of shingles upon a roof. Examples of such various apparatuses include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 710,281 to Leek relates to a shingling carriage and gauge device having a rail, a carriage mounted thereon, an arm adjustably secured to the carriage, a supporting bracket adjustably secured to the arm and carrying a shingle bracket, and the gauge.
U.S Pat. No. 3,842,934 to Bartlett relates to an apparatus containing a plurality of elongated load supporting members adapted to be supported in a spaced-apart relationship to a sloping roof, a hook means attached to the elongated load supporting members being adapted to extend over the gable of the sloping roof and contact the opposite sloping roof, a load supporting carriage riding on each of the elongated load supporting members and containing a means to incrementally advance the load supporting carriages on the elongated load supporting members and an additional elongated load supporting member having one portion of the member residing on one load supporting carriage and another portion of the load supporting member residing on another load supporting carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,889 to Barnett relates to fixtures for lining asphalt composition strip shingles wherein an elongated alignment guide is provided for supporting the lower edges of a plurality of shingles to be laid on a roof. The alignment guide can contain a plurality of sections of a specific length thereby permitting the assembly of any type of standard shingle length. A clamping device is attached to the alignment guide and has a pair of essentially flat, opposed jaws for compressing the jaws together to grip a shingle in the previous laid row.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,911 to Sucheck relates to a single gauge for aligning a second row of shingles to a first, lower row of shingles fixed to a roof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,144 to Barnett relates to a device which is similar to that described hereinabove with regard to Barnett U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,889.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,134 to Schmanski relates to a shingle locating gauge for use in aligning and applying roofing shingles which has a pair of generally parallel side supports attached to an elongated alignment guide. A load spreading bar and an elongated support member extend generally parallel to the alignment guide and are each connected to side supports. Mounted on the support member are a pair of alignment stops and a clamp adapted to apply force against the load spreading bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,217 to Stewart relates to a double roll shingle alignment fixture for aligning rows of roofing shingles. A first longitudinal panel has a grooved lower flange with a lower edge and a plurality of grooves adapted to be aligned with a first row of shingles. A second longitudinal panel is hingedly mounted to the first longitudinal panel along a longitudinal axis to be folded down on top of the second row of shingles after being fastened to the roof.
None of the above devices relates to a system for mechanizing the laying of shingles having at least a pair of lateral supports attached to a roof, a horizontal track engaging alignment tabs of the lateral supports, a carriage for carrying shingles along the length of the horizontal track, and the like.